China’s Internet users obsessed with building that looks like ‘giant sanitary napkin’
A proposed train station in China has gripped Internet users for its peculiar design.
Social media users have likened the design of the Nanjing North train station to a sanitary pad – rather than the intended plum blossom.
The designers have insisted that the four-lobed building is intended to mimic the city’s floral symbol of a plum blossom. However, numerous netizens have pointed out – correctly – that a plum flower typically has five petals.
The debate over this on China’s social media platforms has garnered millions of views with many users ridiculing the proposed design.
One Weibo user quipped: “Why can we all immediately know it’s a sanitary napkin, but the architect doesn’t??”
Another wrote: “This is a giant sanitary napkin. It’s a shame to say that it looks like a plum flower.”
According to local media reports, the preliminary design was approved by the provincial and national authorities and the building is now set for construction. The project is estimated to cost around 20 billion Chinese yuan (£2bn).
The Nanjing North station represents a significant investment for the bustling city of 8.5 million inhabitants and is poised to claim the title of the city’s largest station.
Spanning across 14sqm (37.6sqkm), this expansive station is projected to cater to approximately 36.5 million passengers annually.
This isn’t the first instance of a building in China causing a commotion and unintentionally garnering attention. Earlier, the Chinese Central Television [CCTV] building faced ridicule for its resemblance to a pair of oversized shorts. The CCTV headquarters in Beijing was dubbed the “big boxer shorts” building due to its distinctive shape.
